During the past year, the MRIPS/MEDx group of Rad&IS/CC, recently renamed the Imaging Sciences Informatics Section (ISIS), has been increasing its data computation, data storage, and image visualization and analysis capabilities in support of the NIH ICDs. Currently, ISIS has three (3) major components: 1) Provide data computation and storage for the clinical and research components of Rad&IS in order to facilitate their clinical and research efforts in support of NIH ICDs. a) The data server subsystem consists of multiple Apple Xsevers and Xsan and RAID components providing 62 TERAbytes of storage with security provided by access control lists using NIH Active Directory system b) The data computation subsystem consists of numerous RedHat Linux 64-bit multi-processor machines with high-speed connectivity to the Rad&IS storage subsystem and access security provided by NIH Active Directory system c) SAMBA (e.g. SMB)- and AppleFileProtocol (e.g. AFP)-based shared folder availability for PCs, Macs, and other machines within Rad&IS. Shared folders exist for general use (DATA), labs and workgroups (GROUPS) and also individual users (USERS). Security and access control is provided by NIH Active Directory system. 2) Implement a Research PACS using the Evercore package from TeraMedica, Inc. This unique system not only permits the storage of DICOM images but also affiliated documents, spreadsheets, waveforms, and other non-image data in their native formats. Overall security will be maintained ActiveDirectory (AD) with AD-based groups provided ACL (AccessControlList) 3) Maintain a versatile set of image processing applications to facilitate the analysis and visualization of medical images. This library includes, but is not necessarily limited to, a. MEDx from (Medical Numerics, Inc.) which was jointly developed by NIH and Medical Numerics, Inc. b. IDL from ITT Visualization, Inc. c. MATLAB (incl. numerous toolboxes) from Mathworks, Inc. d. PV-Wave from Visual Numerics, Inc. e. AMIRA from Visage Imaging for f. VG StudioMAX g. AFNI h. MIPAV i. SPM In addition to training new users in the use of MEDx, ISIS maintains on-site support services for MEDx, consisting of not only normal problem solving/ consulting, but also the development of new features and functions for MEDx 1. Analysis of Brain Lesions (ABLe) modifications ABLe is a software module inside of MEDx which was developed as a collaborative project between NINDS, NIDCD and the MEDx on-site support staff to characterize brain lesions in CT and MR images. During the past year a. The behavior analysis (VLSM) module in ABLe has been improved to include connected clusters. Negative z-values are now supported in the reporting section. In addition, the false discovery rate (FDR) method of multiple comparison correction was added. b. The Brodmann area atlas was added to the user defined atlas creation module. Now the user can select limiting Talairach coordinates and Brodmann areas to create their own structures for reporting of lesion intersection. c. The white matter atlas from Dr. Mori and JHU was been added as an atlas option. All features of ABLe are now possible when using the white matter atlas. d. Some bugs fixes involving the D-P atlas report have been made. 2. Registration Engine/Print Engine Supported and enhanced the registration engine, (now also known as APPS, automated post-processing system) to optimally register MR and PET images of brain tumor patients over time. During the past year APPS was extended to automatically handle PET data in addition to MR data. The following enhancements were also made a. Created and modified a web-based status site to report on the real-time status of not only the retrieval of image data by our compute servers but also the post-processing of the data, and the transmittal of the processed data back to the Rad&IS Clinical PACS. b. Added functionality to automatically retrieve DTI images, such as trace, FA, ADC, eADC and have these all registered to the T1 reference image. 3. MR Perfusion Analysis module The perfusion engine has been an ongoing project. Recent additions include a. Developement of novel automated arterial input function (AIF) estimate that is slowly being integrated into the automated post-processing system (APPS) system. b. Development of module for the review of output from circular deconvolution algorithm which will eventually be integrated into APPS. 4. Semi-Automated 4D Brain Lesion Segmentation a. Applied the segmented brain tumor results to mask FDG PET images and calculate average SUV values within the tumor b. Automated brain segmentation (gray matter, white matter) was applied to the PET images so that the average SUV values of gray matter and white matter were also reported. 5. NCI Pedicatric Oncology Branch Support a. Ongoing support of plexiform neurofibroma lesion segmentation program which semi-automatically segments the plexiform neurofibrom lesions found in patients with NF1. This includes preparing DICOM images from several off-site hospitals that are involved in the clinical trials that utilize this software b. Developed program to measure growth plate volume in MRI scans of the knee. This is being used in clinical trials to investigate if drug therapy is modifying the growth plate morphology. c. Training staff on use of ABLe (analysis of brain lesions program) to investigate the location of lesions in a subset of patients seen there. Also, small modifications of the program are being made on their behalf. 6. Multiple Sclerosis lesion analysis a. Supported the continued use of the MS lesion analysis program to track the progression of MS lesions over time. b. Work is ongoing to allow for MS lesions in greater than 30 scanning sessions to be tracked. c. Working on further automation of the program to allow multiple selections of MR images and related lesion ROIs to perform the analysis with many fewer button selections. 7. Enhanced DICOM Utilities incorporated into MEDx a. Testing was performed to determine that the MEDx catcher (storescp) was able to receive both enhanced MR and enhanced CT DICOM objects. b. To be able to open these enhanced objects into MEDx, research was done to see if there was a tool available to split the multi-frame enhanced file into unenhanced single dicom files per image. The program called dcuncat from the dicom3tools (D. Clunie) was downloaded and compiled on a Linux machine. This program split the enhanced MR and CT objects and MEDx was able to view these images. c. Ongoing work to integrate dcuncat seamlessly into MEDx retrieve. 8. Rat Brain Lesion Analysis As part of this project, supported the use of a semi-automated method to determine the volume of lesions seen in these T2 images. 9. Hottest pixels module for PET images Developed a MEDx-based program to determine the nth brightest voxel in a PET image and make a binary mask of the ith brightest voxels within a kth neighborhood. 10. NIDCD Support a. Ongoing support and addition of new features to a MEDx module to assess brain connectivity based on correlation of the time course of all voxels to that of a seed voxel. b. Assist PI in developing software tools that use MEDx/ABLe to report language areas common and unique to various language tasks (e.g. syntax, semantics, etc.). 11. Breast Screening Ongoing support and new features added to a MEDx derived program to measure breast density in mammograms. This program is semi-automated and requires the radiologist to adjust a threshold which differentiates adipose tissue and denser breast tissue. Visual feedback allows the radiologist to adjust this threshold on a case by case basis. NCI is using this method as part of an ongoing trial. 12. NIFTI reader/writer